Broaddus: Gets Tricky When Talking About Future Of QB Spot

It has always been said that the quarterback receives too much of the credit when a team wins but way too much of the blame when they don’t. As much as fans want to be critical of the perceived failure of Tony Romo, take a step back and think about what you really have here. I have literally lived the days where this team didn’t have a quarterback. Anyone want to go back to the days of Anthony Wright, Tony Banks, Chad Hutchinson or Ryan Leaf? I didn’t think so. Before you want to get rid of this team’s quarterback, you had better have a plan because when Troy Aikman got whacked by LaVar Arrington on that Texas Stadium sideline, we didn’t have a plan. It’s real easy to put the blame of the season on him but it’s real hard to find someone that is better. I am not saying that you should quit trying but NFL teams have been trying for years to do it and still haven’t mastered it. Look at the Seahawks this year, general manager John Schneider spends millions of dollars of Paul Allen’s money to sign Matt Flynn from the Packers but starts his third round draft choice Russell Wilson. If you are Allen, you have to be happy you are in the playoffs but why didn’t we just draft Wilson and play on? Quarterback is the most misevaluated position there is on a team, it’s proven every year in this league and that will never change.

I have always taken a different approach to Romo and what he brings to this team. I am not afraid to admit that I was on the staff that helped bring him here so there is a personal connection to his career much like Jason Witten or DeMarcus Ware. I am not trying to excuse the mistakes that Romo made this season but again, think of life without him. I understand why people feel the way they do about him but if you would have walked in my shoes, you would have a much better understanding of him. I have always accepted with Romo that there will be moments of brilliance but also moments of disappointment. I thought I observed more of the brilliance despite what others might believe. If anything was accomplished this season it was Romo’s wiliness to stick with Dez Bryant after the Chicago game when the majority of Cowboys Nation wanted to fire him after running another poor route that resulted in a pick six for the Bears. Romo could have thrown Bryant under the bus, instead of doing that, he kept throwing him the ball. Now this team has one of the best young play making receivers in the league. When you want to be critical of Romo think of the beatings he took behind this offensive line and the lack of a running game while Murray was out to at least have a chance to win the NFC East on the season’s final night, I think you would have to admit he was the real reason why they even had a chance.

Going forward, this is where it gets tricky for this team. They need to think about how they are going to handle the quarterback situation in the coming years. Kyle Orton is a backup that could be a starter for a team like Kansas City, Buffalo and quite possible Philadelphia, so that area looks to be in good hands. I heard nothing but positive interaction and work ethic during his first season here. With Romo and Orton this club could afford the opportunity to try and develop one but cannot waste three seasons like they did with Stephen McGee. With McGee, the front office hung on too long and were not quick enough to understand where he really was at in his development. Should this team draft a quarterback in this draft? I think they should but let’s remember that Romo was on our board in the 5th round and we were able to grab him after the draft. There is a possibility that there will be a quarterback they do have some of the similar qualities and make that call but this needs to be discussed sooner than later because I can tell you from experience, that really doesn’t work.